Watching from the screen door, Karissa Martin anxiously waits along with her mother Patty Burton as her first grade teacher from Coleman Elementary, Jodie Robinson makes her way to the house. "At first her schoolwork was the least of my concern," Karissa Martin's mother Patty Burton said after her daughter underwent emergency brain surgery. Now Burton is pleased that first grade teacher Jodie Robinson, left, makes special trips twice a week to keep her daughter caught up on her work. "I love it that she's doing it. It's not something you would expect that's for sure," Burton said.

It started out with the typical change-of-weather stuffy nose and cough. But when 6-year-old Karissa Martins headaches didnt stop, her mother knew it had to be something other than a sinus headache.

"She had it around the clock, non-stop," her mother, Patti Burton said.

After a trip to the doctor and some testing, Karissa and Burton returned home to a follow-up phone call: "They said we had to get her to Ann Arbor immediately," Burton said.

The problem: The sinus infection had settled into Karissas brain. On Nov. 6, she had emergency surgery to remove the abscesses from her brain. After 18 days in critical condition in intensive care at C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital at the University of Michigan, Karissa began to heal.

The Coleman Elementary first-grader came home in December after a total of 32 days in the hospital. With help from physical and occupational therapy, she is nearly ready to go back to school.

But first there will be one more surgery to repair her skull, which had a piece of bone taken from it to allow room for the swelling that occurred as a result of her illness. That hospital visit, back to Ann Arbor, is planned for Feb. 7.

"Theyre expecting she will be there one or two nights, depending on how it goes," Burton said.

But already, Karissa is feeling much better, though she has been wearing a helmet to protect her head until the upcoming surgery. Her parents believe the worst is over, and also have gotten word that the hefty hospital bills will be covered.

But there still are expenses, and without help, the familys finances may not be able to recover as easily as their daughter.

Karissas father, Jeremy Martin, has been able to return to work, but Burton has not. Shes been staying home from her job at Deer Run in Midland to care for her daughter. "The setback has been me not working," she said. She doesnt think shell be able to return until March.

Brightly colored butterfly stickers cover Karissa Martin's helmet worn to protect her head after a bone graft was removed to allow for swelling from emergency brain surgery she underwent in November.

To assist with expenses that have added up since Karissa got sick, Burton and Martins extended family is planning a spaghetti dinner, silent auction and raffles on Friday at the American Legion in Sanford.

Dinner will be served from 6 to 8 p.m., with the silent auction ending at 8:30 p.m. Auction items include gift certificates, a salmon fishing trip and a pheasant hunt, spa packages, a Tiger baseball autographed by player Ramon Santiago, an autographed photo of country music star Big Kenny of Big and Rich, and many others. Most items have been donated by local businesses.

Tickets to the dinner are $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 and younger.

All proceeds will go to a special account opened for Karissa and her family, who are eager to get their lives back to normal after the past few stressful months.

"Shes looking forward to getting her next surgery over with," said Karissas aunt, Angela Martin, who is organizing the Friday benefit. "She claims shes going to keep her helmet for bike riding."

First grade teacher Jodie Robinson, left, works with Martin at her home in Coleman. Martin said she looks forward to returning to school with the rest of her class. "I miss my friends," she said.

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